Bible Encyclopedia: With

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

AWAY WITH

(1) "To endure," "to bear with" (Isaiah 1:13), "I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting," i.e. endure the combination of wickedness and worship. In the Hebrew merely, "I am unable iniquity and the solenm meeting."

(2) To destroy airo. Found in such expressions as Acts 22:22, "Away with such a fellow from the earth."

COMMUNION WITH DEMONS; DEVILS

de'-monz, (dev'-'-lz):

I. Use of Term:

The actual expression "communion with demons" (koinonoi ton daimonion) occurs but once in Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:20) where its figurative meaning is evident, but it is implied in the English version of a number of passages by the terms "one who has" or "those who have" "familiar spirits" (Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6, 27 Deuteronomy 18:11 1 Samuel 28:3, 7, 8, 9; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Kings 23:24 1 Chronicles 10:13 2 Chronicles 33:6 Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isaiah 29:4). These passages seem to be somewhat incongruous with Paul's statement, but are in reality so intimately related to it as to give and receive light through the connection.

II. Teaching of Scripture.

To begin with, we may safely say, in general, that there is no ground for asserting that the Bible admits the possibility of conscious and voluntary communion with spirits. This is an essential element of popular demonology in all ages, but it is absent from Scripture. Even in the passages mentioned above which refer to necromancers and wizards, while, as we shall see, the words indicate that such practitioners professed to rely upon spirits in their divinations, the Scriptures carefully refrain from sanctioning these claims, and a number of features in the various passages serve to indicate that the true scriptural view is quite the opposite. As this is not a prevalent opinion, we should do well to examine the passages with some little care.

1. The New Testament:

(1) We may first deal with the New Testament. In the Gospels the demoniacs are consistently looked upon and treated as unconscious and helpless victims (see DEMON, DEMONOLOGY). The frequent use of this term "demonized" (daimonizomenoi) together with all that is told us of the methods of treating these eases adopted by our Lord and His apostles (see EXORCISM) indicates the belief of the New Testament writers that the control of demons over men is obtained outside of or below the region of conscious volition and that the condition of the sufferers is pathological.

(2) The same must be said of the Lydian maiden whose cure by Paul is recorded in Acts 16:16. This is the one instance in the New Testament where divination is connected with spirits. The account emphasizes the excitable neurosis of the patient; and the belief on the part of the apostles and of the writer of Acts that the girl was not the conscious accomplice of her masters, but their unfortunate victim through her mysterious malady, is clear. She was treated, as the other eases recorded in the New Testament, not as a conscious wrongdoer, but as a sick person to be healed.

2. The Old Testament:

(1) Turning now to the Old Testament, the instance which requires the most careful treatment, because it holds the key to all the rest, is the narrative of Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28:3-25. The Hebrew word 'obh which is usually translated "one who has a familiar spirit" (see list of passages at beginning of article) occurs in this narrative four times (verses 3, 7 twice, 8). According to the ordinary interpretation it is used in three different senses, two of which occur here. These three senses are

(a) a person who controls a spirit,

(b) the spirit controlled,

(c) the power to control such a spirit.

This meaning appears to be altogether too broad. Omitting to translate the word we have: (verse 3) "Saul had put away 'obhoth, and yidh`onim"; (verse 7), a woman, a mistress of an 'obh; (verse 8) "Divine unto me. by the 'obh." It is extremely unlikely that the same word should be used in two senses so far apart as "person who has a spirit" and the "spirit itself" in the same context. In the last passage mentioned (verse 8) there is a double indication that the word 'obh cannot have either signification mentioned. Saul says: "Divine unto me by the 'obh and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee." The expression "divine by" clearly points to some magical object used in divination. Control of a spirit through some magical object is familiar enough. The rest of Saul's statement confirms this view. The result of the divination is the calling up of a spirit. A spirit would hardly be used to call up another spirit. This conclusion is confirmed by the etymology. The word 'obh is supposed to mean "one who has a familiar spirit," from its root-significance of hollow and its primary meaning of wineskin. According to this derivation the word is applied to a necromancer on the supposition that the spirit inhabits his body and speaks from within. The transference to spirit is extremely unlikely and the explanation is not consistent with primitive ideas on spirit manifestation (see Brown, Driver, and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, 'owb end).

(2) We, therefore, hold with H. P. Smith (International Critical Commentary, "Samuel" in the place cited.), though partly on different grounds, that the word 'obh has the same meaning in all the passages where it occurs, and that it refers to a sacred object or fetish by which spiritistic divination was carried on.

The significance of this conclusion is that the misleading expression "familiar spirit" disappears from the text, for Dr. Driver's interpretation of the companion word yidh`onim (see International Critical Commentary, Commentary on Deuteronomy in the place cited.) will scarcely be maintained in the face of this new meaning for 'obh. The prohibition contained in the law (Leviticus 20:27) against 'ohboth, and those using them, places them in the same catalogue of offense and futility with idol-worship in general.

(3) This opinion is confirmed by two separate items of evidence.

(a) In the Witch of Endor story Samuel's appearance, according to the idea of the narrator, was due to a miracle, not to the magic power of the feeble and cheating old woman to whom Saul had resorted. God speaks through the apparition a stern message of doom. No one was more startled than the woman herself, who for once had a real vision (1 Samuel 28:12). She not only gave a loud cry of astonishment and alarm but she described the figure which she saw as "a god coming up out of the each." The story is told with fidelity and clearly indicates the opinion that the actual appearance of a spirit is so violently exceptional as to indicate the immediate power and presence of God.

(b) In Isaiah 8:19 the 'obhoth and yidh`onim are spoken of as those who "chirp and mutter." These terms refer to the necromancers themselves (Septuagint translates 'obhoth by eggastromuthoi = ventriloquists) who practiced ventriloquism in connection with their magical rites. In Isaiah 29:4 it is said "Thy voice shall be as an 'obh, out of the ground." Here 'obh is usually interpreted as "ghost," but it is far more probable (see Brown, Driver, and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament sub loc.) that it refers as in 8:19 to the ventriloqustic tricks of those who utter their oracles in voices intended to represent the spirits which they have evoked. They are stamped in these passages, as in the Witch of Endor narrative, as deceivers practicing a fraudulent article. By implication their power to evoke spirits with whom they were in familiar intercourse is denied.

3. The Meaning of Idol-Worship:

This leaves the way clear for a brief consideration of the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:20 in connection with cognate passages in the Old Testament.

(1) He argues that since idol-worship is really demon-worship, the partaking of heathen sacrifice is a communion with demons and a separation from Christ. It is usually taken for granted that this characterization of heathen worship was simply a part of the Jewish-Christian polemic against idolatry. Our fuller knowledge of the spiritism which conditions the use of images enables us to recognize the fact that from the viewpoint of heathenism itself Paul's idea was strictly correct. The image is venerated because it is supposed to represent or contain an invisible being or spirit, not necessarily a deity in the absolute sense, but a super-human living being capable of working good or ill to men.

(2) In the King James Version the term devils is used in four Old Testament passages (Leviticus 17:7 Deuteronomy 32:17 2 Chronicles 11:15 Psalm 106:37). In the Revised Version (British and American) "devils" has disappeared from the text-the word he-goats appears in Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15, while "demons" appears in Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalm 106:37. The translation of se`irim as "he-goats" is literally correct, but conveys an erroneous conception of the meaning. The practice reprobated is the worship of Satyrs (see SATYR) or wood-demons supposed to be like goats in appearance and to inhabit lonely places. The same word is used in Isaiah 13:21; Isaiah 34:14. The word translated "demons" in the Revised Version (British and American) is shedhim, a term used only twice and both times in connection with the rites and abominations of heathen worship. It is interesting to note that the word shidu is applied to the beings represented by the bull-colossi of Assyria (Driver, Deuteronomy in the place cited.). Brown, Driver, and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament holds that the word shedhim is an Assyrian loan-word, while Briggs (ICC, Psalm 106:37) holds that shedhim were ancient gods of Canaan. In either case the word belongs to heathenism and is used in Scripture to describe heathen worship in its own terminology. The interpretation of these beings as evil is characteristic of Biblical demonism in general (see DEMON, etc.). The worship of idols was the worship of personal beings more than man and less than God, according to Jewish and Christian ideas (see Driver op. cit., 363). Septuagint translates both the above words by daimonia.

4. Conclusion:

The term "communion with demons" does not imply any power on the part of men to enter into voluntary relationship with beings of another world, but that, by sinful compliance in wrongdoing, such as idol-worship and magical rites, men may enter into a moral identification with evil powers against which it is their duty to fight.

LITERATURE.

The Dictionaries and Commentaries dealing with the passages quoted above contain discussions of the various aspects of the subject. Jewish superstitions are ably treated by Edersheim, Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (8th edition), II, 771, 773.

Louis Matthews Sweet

SCORPIONS, CHASTISING WITH

skor'-pi-unz.

See PUNISHMENTS 3, (17); SCORPION.

Greek

3656. homileo -- to consort with, hence to converse with
... to consort with, hence to converse with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: homileo
Phonetic Spelling: (hom-il-eh'-o) Short Definition: I associate with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3656.htm - 6k

3326. meta -- with, among, after
... with, among, after. Part of Speech: Preposition Transliteration: meta Phonetic Spelling:
(met-ah') Short Definition: with, after Definition: (a) gen: with, in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3326.htm - 8k

2852. kolaphizo -- to strike with the fist
... to strike with the fist. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kolaphizo Phonetic
Spelling: (kol-af-id'-zo) Short Definition: I strike with the fist, maltreat ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2852.htm - 7k

4862. sun -- with, together with (expresses association with)
... with, together with (expresses association with). Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: sun Phonetic Spelling: (soon) Short Definition: with Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4862.htm - 7k

4879. sunapago -- to lead away with, fig. to be carried away with ...
... 4878, 4879. sunapago. 4880 . to lead away with, fig. to be carried away
with (pass.). Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sunapago ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4879.htm - 7k

4790. sugkoinoneo -- to have fellowship with
... to have fellowship with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sugkoinoneo Phonetic
Spelling: (soong-koy-no-neh'-o) Short Definition: I have fellowship with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4790.htm - 7k

4875. sunanapauomai -- to lie down to rest with, fig. to be ...
... 4874, 4875. sunanapauomai. 4876 . to lie down to rest with, fig. to be
refreshed in spirit with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4875.htm - 7k

3661. homothumadon -- with one mind
... with one mind. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: homothumadon Phonetic Spelling:
(hom-oth-oo-mad-on') Short Definition: with one mind, unanimously ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3661.htm - 7k

3433. molis -- with difficulty
... with difficulty. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: molis Phonetic Spelling:
(mol'-is) Short Definition: with difficulty, hardly Definition: with difficulty ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3433.htm - 7k

4874. sunanamignumi -- to mix up together, hence to associate with
... to mix up together, hence to associate with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
sunanamignumi Phonetic Spelling: (soon-an-am-ig'-noo-mee) Short Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4874.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

5973. im -- with
... 5972, 5973. im. 5974 . with. Transliteration: im Phonetic Spelling: (eem)
Short Definition: against. Word Origin a prim. preposition ...
/hebrew/5973.htm - 6k

854. eth -- with (denoting proximity)
... 853, 854. eth. 855 . with (denoting proximity). Transliteration: eth Phonetic
Spelling: (ayth) Short Definition: against. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/854.htm - 6k

7521. ratsah -- to be pleased with, accept favorably
... ratsah. 7522 . to be pleased with, accept favorably. Transliteration: ratsah Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-tsaw') Short Definition: accept. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7521.htm - 6k

6005. Immanuel -- "with us is God," the name of a child
... 6004, 6005. Immanuel. 6006 . "with us is God," the name of a child.
Transliteration: Immanuel Phonetic Spelling: (im-maw-noo-ale') Short Definition: ...
/hebrew/6005.htm - 6k

5980. ummah -- close by, side by side with
... 5979, 5980. ummah. 5981 . close by, side by side with. Transliteration: ummah
Phonetic Spelling: (oom-maw') Short Definition: alongside. ...
/hebrew/5980.htm - 6k

5974. im -- with
... 5973, 5974. im. 5975 . with. Transliteration: im Phonetic Spelling: (eem) Short
Definition: like. Word ... by, from, like, toward, with. (Aramaic ...
/hebrew/5974.htm - 6k

7061. qamats -- enclose with the hand, grasp
... 7060, 7061. qamats. 7062 . enclose with the hand, grasp. Transliteration: qamats
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-mats') Short Definition: take. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7061.htm - 6k

3780. kasah -- to be sated or gorged (with food)
... 3779, 3780. kasah. 3781 . to be sated or gorged (with food). Transliteration:
kasah Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-saw') Short Definition: sleek. Word Origin a prim ...
/hebrew/3780.htm - 6k

6879. tsara -- to be struck with leprosy, to be leprous
... 6878, 6879. tsara. 6880 . to be struck with leprosy, to be leprous.
Transliteration: tsara Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-rah') Short Definition: leper. ...
/hebrew/6879.htm - 6k

2347. chus -- to pity, look upon with compassion
... 2346, 2347. chus. 2348 . to pity, look upon with compassion. Transliteration:
chus Phonetic Spelling: (khoos) Short Definition: pity. ...
/hebrew/2347.htm - 6k

Library

What's Wrong With the World
What's Wrong With the World. <. What's Wrong With the World Gilbert K
Chesterton. Table of Contents. Title Page. To CG Masterman, MP. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/whats wrong with the world/

The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes
The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes. <. The Acts of the
Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes Archelaus. Translated by the Rev. ...
/.../archelaus/the acts of the disputation with the heresiarch manes/

Dialogue of Justin, Philosopher and Martyr, with Trypho
Dialogue of Justin, Philosopher and Martyr, with Trypho. <. Dialogue
of Justin, Philosopher and Martyr, with Trypho Justin Martyr. ...
/.../justin/dialogue of justin philosopher and martyr with trypho/

writings in connection with the Manichæan controversy
writings in connection with the Manichæan controversy. <. writings in
connection with the Manichæan controversy St. Augustine. Rev. ...
/.../augustine/writings in connection with the manichaean controversy /

writings in connection with the donatist controversy.
writings in connection with the donatist controversy. . writings in
connection with the donatist controversy. St. Augustine. Rev. ...
/.../augustine/writings in connection with the donatist controversy /

Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes
Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. <. Creeds
of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes Various. ...
/.../various/creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/

Quiet Talks with World Winners
Quiet Talks with World Winners. <. Quiet Talks with World Winners SD Gordon.
Produced by Distributed Proofreaders Table of Contents. Title Page. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks with world winners/

Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.
Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus. . Life and
Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus. Various. ...
/.../various/life and works of rufinus with jeromes apology against rufinus /

With Christ in the School of Prayer
With Christ in the School of Prayer. <. With Christ in the School of Prayer
Andrew Murray. Table of Contents. Title Page. PREFACE. FIRST LESSON. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/with christ in the school of prayer/

The Evidences of the Christian Religion, with Additional ...
The Evidences of the Christian Religion, with Additional Discourses. ... The Evidences
of the Christian Religion, with Additional Discourses Joseph Addison. ...
/.../addison/the evidences of the christian religion with additional discourses/

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) See Withe.

2. (prep.) With denotes or expresses some situation or relation of nearness, proximity, association, connection, or the like.

3. (prep.) To denote a close or direct relation of opposition or hostility; -- equivalent to against.

4. (prep.) To denote association in respect of situation or environment; hence, among; in the company of.

5. (prep.) To denote a connection of friendship, support, alliance, assistance, countenance, etc.; hence, on the side of.

6. (prep.) To denote the accomplishment of cause, means, instrument, etc; -- sometimes equivalent to by.

7. (prep.) To denote association in thought, as for comparison or contrast.

8. (prep.) To denote simultaneous happening, or immediate succession or consequence.

9. (prep.) To denote having as a possession or an appendage; as, the firmament with its stars; a bride with a large fortune.

Thesaurus

With (66342 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) See Withe. 2. (prep.) With denotes or expresses some situation or relation
of nearness, proximity, association, connection, or the like. ... AWAY WITH. ...
/w/with.htm - 20k

Simplicity (12 Occurrences)
... simplicity." In the New Testament, haplotes, "singleness of mind," "simplicity,"
occurs in Romans 12:8, "He that giveth let him do it with simplicity," the ...
/s/simplicity.htm - 13k

Sincerity (17 Occurrences)
... margin "Greek, `belonging to the reason'; compare Romans 12:1," the English Revised
Version margin reasonable"), "milk which is without guile," with no other ...
/s/sincerity.htm - 14k

Vest (11 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) To clothe with, or as with, a vestment, or garment; to dress; to
robe; to cover, surround, or encompass closely. 5. (n.) To ...
/v/vest.htm - 11k

Vanities (14 Occurrences)
... vanity; their works are nothing" (Isaiah 41:29), "Behold, all of them, their works
are vanity and nought," margin as the King James Version, with "nought" for ...
/v/vanities.htm - 12k

Know (8133 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar
with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an ...
/k/know.htm - 12k

Keilah (16 Occurrences)
... It is the modern Khurbet Kila. Others identify it with Khuweilfeh, between Beit
Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) and Beersheba, mentioned in the Amarna tablets. Int. ...
/k/keilah.htm - 15k

Sighing (22 Occurrences)
... Hebrews 13:17 Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch
for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this ...
/s/sighing.htm - 13k

Zalmunna (9 Occurrences)
... He was slain afterwards with Zebah (Judges 8:5-21). ... The narrative of Judges 8:4-21
is not to be connected with that of 8:1-3. Budde (Kurzer Hand-Comm. ...
/z/zalmunna.htm - 13k

Skilfully (13 Occurrences)
... Exodus 26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains: of fine twined
linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the ...
/s/skilfully.htm - 10k

Bible Concordance

With (66342 Occurrences)

With appears 66342 times in 12 translations.

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Subtopics

With

Related Terms

Simplicity (12 Occurrences)

Sincerity (17 Occurrences)

Vest (11 Occurrences)

Vanities (14 Occurrences)

Know (8133 Occurrences)